"You must have lost your mind, Prince Andrei? A Dracul, benevolent? Who's ever heard?"

'You needed to have been there, Aurel!" The old prince subtly referenced the absence of the younger from battle. "You could have seen how Prince Vlad stood up for me. How he fought his own Vizier. The respect he gave me."

Aurel frumped like a horse.

"You sound enchanted by the devil, prince Andrei." Another Danesti prince spoke. "There can be no alliance with the Dracul. Only war!"

"If a war is waged, our kingdom will be ruined! Thousands of women will be widowed. Children orphaned. The very thought makes me tremble. It does not make any sense to let innocent people get slaughtered. Wouldn't it be wise to make peace with the Dracul and offer Prince Vlad a hand of friendship?"

His claim to peace was met with uproar.

"Do that and be branded a traitor!"

"An alliance with the Draculs? No greater example of treason. You'll surely be branded a traitor."

"It pains me too. But let me tell you, I will be saving my people from defeat, death and disaster, by accepting the Dracul prince's treaty!"

Aurel reached the capacity of his patience and thrust off his seat.

"Very well, Prince Andrei, let me warn you and the people of Wallachia. Because of your decision, no alliances will take place between our families... for present and future generations!"

Princess Caterina, listening from outside the veiled room, smiled in glee. Whatever happened, she would not be tied to that oaf Prince any longer. She ran off to tell the good news to her cousin.

Other Danesti clans also broke ties with Wallachia and stomped out of the room, leaving prince Andrei alone with his trusted vizier.

"It will be their loss, Lukis. Just you wait and see."

Lukis was cut off from any words by the sudden arrival of the princess royal*.

"What am I hearing, your majesty?! We have been abandoned?! Do you not think of your country!" She hushed before continuing, "Do you not think of your own daughter? Who will marry her now! All because you want to extend a hand of friendship to our enemy!"

"Ileana!" Andrei scolded. "My dear Ileana, the only reason you are not a widow today is in gratitude to Prince Vlad."

Princess Ileana settled.

"The young prince is no enemy to us! He was the first one to suggest a step to peace! I have never in my life seen a prince as moral as he. And, since we're outed already, might I suggest a stronger bond of alliance with Prince Vlad? One much more stiffer than of friendship."

"What are you thinking, Prince Andrei?"

"Come in," Prince Vlad answered as the priest knocked on his door.

"My apologies for disturbing you," the old man said as he noticed the prince eating his dinner.

"Not at all! Please, come sit." Vlad wiped at his mouth and offered the priest the seat across.

"I heard chatter of your behavior on the battlefield."

"Oh yeah? What did you hear?"

"Well, differing opinions. But you should know, the innocent of Transylvania, along with myself, applaud and support your approach to peace."

"It was of no significance."

"While we're on the subject..." the priest dragged.

"Oh, Father. You don't need be coy with me. Your honesty will not be punished."

"Oh well, forgive my frankness. But I was thinking, perhaps a stronger bond of alliance between our country and Wallachia." His facial expressions helped Vlad to jump to conclusions.

"Marriage! Ha! I've only just returned, Father. And I've yet to be crowned."

"That be as it may, I believe your attitude towards Prince Andrei has altered his opinion of you."

"You are a mind reader, Father? I thought that stuff was black magic!" Dracula teased and the priest crossed himself.

"No. It is written in this letter I have received from His Majesty." The priest showed the letter to him. "And it's not far from what I had in mind myself."

"But Father..."

"Of course an engagement should suffice for now, and we can wait until your crowning for the wedding. What do you think?"

"You seem more eager for my marriage than I." Vlad idly joked as he read the letter. His mind went back to the girl he fought along on the battlefield. The princess, Caterina. He reimagined the battle, then came back to reality something bothered him.

"You might have heard of my weakened immunity while in the forest, yes?" Vlad asked, slowly building up to a revelation.

"Yes. I don't seem to understand how that might..." He cut himself short, his mind going impure. The priest reddened and Vlad laughed.

"Oh I don't think we have a problem there... I think. I haven't actually..." he hadn't done it since turning. Since...

"Anyway, what I was actually referring to, is that I seem to have grown an allergy to silver."

"Oh." And then it hit him why it might be a bigger problem. "Oh my! I see. That really might be concerning. How severe, I wonder."

Dracula entertained the priest by grabbing the nearest sword. Careful to hold it by the hilt, he ran his free hand over the blade, then turned it over the priest could see the skin slowly scarring. The priest crossed himself and Vlad grabbed his water, washing his hand with so to appear natural to the old man.

"Curious! Let's keep this to you and me for now and see if I can't find a mendicant for it."

"Thank you, Father."

Caterina said as her father brought fruit for her in her room.

"Any reason for your visit this late, father?" Caterina pretended to be aloof.

"You might have heard by now, my dear, how the Dracul prince spared me."

"Yes, and I am most thankful to him."

"As am I. Seeing prince Vlad's kindness, I have no objection to an alliance with the Draculs, if prince Vlad will lead."

"An alliance with the enemy, father?"

"Our Danesti allies had similar issues. And they no longer ally with us."

"Does that mean..."

"You are no longer bound to that oaf of prince Aurel."

Both father and daughter laughed.

"But I was thinking, on my own for now, if we extended an alliance to Prince Vlad by marriage."

Caterina gasped. "Father..."

"No no. It's only a thought. My own musings. If you do not like him, you have but to say no. But I would recommend a meeting first before you make your decision."

Caterina smiled at her father's kindness. The separation from the clan made her father the good man he always had been, free of objection from the evil princes. If only now he could...

"Thank you, father. For giving me the choice. I will go with you whenever you trip to Transylvania."

Andrei smiled and grabbed his daughter's head for a kiss.

"That's my daughter! I have already written a letter to prince Vlad and we shall await his reply. I shouldn't trouble you longer tonight, my love. Good night."

"Goodnight, father." Caterina walked her father out and just as soon as the door closed, she ran and fell on the bed, dreaming of the Dracul soldier she had met on the battlefield. She wondered what the prince might be like; guess there's only one way to find out.

I called Caterina's mother princess royal because I'm not using the king and Queen titles. Yes, I know what princess royal really stands for.